Adwa Celebration

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Urban League Proudly Sponsors Adwa Celebration

Posted on February 26, 2018

The Urban League is a proud sponsor of this year’s Adwa Victory Day celebration in Portland. We are pleased to join the Ethiopian Community in Oregon in celebration of the 122nd anniversary of the victory of Adwa.

Why do we celebrate this day? On March 2nd, 1896 the Ethiopian citizen army led by Emperor Menelik II completely defeated the Italian armed colonial forces at the battle of Adwa, a small Northern Ethiopian town. The invasive Italian forces had the ambition to colonize Ethiopia, but through the victory of Adwa, Ethiopians defended their country’s sovereignty. Major Western media including The New York Times and Times chronicled the Ethiopians’ patriotism and heroism leading to the landslide victory. Adwa is a symbol of independence and a beacon of freedom for people fighting against colonial oppression. It is especially significant for Black people in Africa and in the Diaspora as it demonstrates how Black people were able to attain victory against a Western colonial force. As we continue our fight against different forms of oppressions and injustices that emanate from racism and white supremacy, the victory of Adwa continues to be as important as it was 122 years ago.

The Urban League is sponsoring this year’s Adwa celebration in Oregon because we realize the importance of celebrating Black people’s triumphant history of resistance. While we work hard every day to empower Black Oregonians, it is also important to take the time to celebrate our proud Pan-African history and culture. We join the Ethiopian community in celebrating Adwa on Sunday, March 4th. Please see the flyer below for more details.